Can This Old House be Saved?
You know how sometimes you’re surfing through the listings of houses for sale and suddenly come across a real diamond in the rough? Someplace that just screams, “Save me! Please! I have so much potential!” And you wish so badly you had the money, time, skills, and resources to buy that house and love it back to life?
That happens to me all the time. So instead of just sitting here, fantasizing about what I would do to this house if it were mine, I thought I’d show it to you and see what you think.
It’s a Victorian that was built in 1870 and has been owned by the same family for three generations. It is now on the market, selling “as is” by the estate for $275,000. It has 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and 5 fireplaces (3 of which are original Rookwoods!). The home has three stories and sits on a double lot in downtown Milford, Ohio.
Take a look around and see if you think this old place is worth saving:
What do you think? Inside it just looks neglected and sad, doesn’t it? Kind of pitiful. Do you think the house is worth saving? What would you do with it if you bought it?
For more information, check out the MLS listing, where it’s listed as a “Handyman Special.”
If You’re Hooked on Old Houses:
- The Purple Victorian on Lane’s End Farm
- Columbia Tusculum’s Victorian Painted Ladies
- Walking and Gawking in Historic North Avondale
- 1908 Mitchell Mansion on Rose Hill
- The Spite House (only 7? wide)
- Cobble Court
- Stokesay Court (from the film “Atonement”)
- 1908 Gaslight Mansion
- Mark Twain’s Mansion
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s William P. Boswell House
- Sears Modern Homes: House Kits from Catalogs
- Pheasant-Hill Farm (250 years old)
July 10th, 2008 at 8:13 am
Aw. Houses like this tend to be awkward inside, but this one
is actually not bad inside. All it needs is a little buffing, polishing,
and paint. I think that it is wonderful.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:31 am
If I had the resources - I would go for it. It is a very gracious home-
I’m a sucker for porches !
July 10th, 2008 at 8:37 am
No doubt about it! Someone needs that house pronto! How chariming - we love it! That porch is enough to sell it. The kitchen - well I would hope that they would keep the stove. I had a stove like that at our old house - best stove I ever had!!
July 10th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Wow I love this house. I don’t think it looks THAT BAD, but it could obviously use some tlc.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:54 am
i lived next door to a house like this that got renovated–so amazing inside afterwards. personally I see the issues as:
-kitchen
-bathrooms
-closet space
-rewiring
-new plumbing
-and expand that porch out to be 10′ deep
-oh, and a mud-room. otherwise the rooms are generously sized and the lot is great. if that was around here i’d beg and plead w/my husband till i was blue in the face!
July 10th, 2008 at 9:00 am
This house is definitely worth saving! And the kitchen and baths really aren’t that bad. They need lots of work, but people who love old houses don’t desire an “up to date” kitchen like the rest of us.
My husband and I really admire old houses, but recently did the opposite. We took a 2 bedroom 1960’s ranch house, and are turning it into a 5 bedroom bungalow that looks like an 80 yr. old home on the East Coast. So we have all new electrical system, central AC, modern bathrooms, big party kitchen. We also have the old-fashioned stuff: front porch; solid, six-panel doors; built-ins; window seats; walk-in pantry; screen porch.
No, we’re not wealthy, in fact, far from it. My husband has a factory job, and I’m at home mothering 6 children. To save money we’re building it ourselves, in our spare time, with any money we can spare. It’s been a ton of work going to auctions and dragging home pick-up loads of doors, windows, trim work, bannisters, and other architectural finds, then finding a way to install it somewhere in the house.
There are many mornings I don’t feel like getting up and working on the house, but it’s better than watching TV or watching other people achieve their dreams.
In short, working on a house is always worth it. You get to show-off a lovely home, and gain self-esteem cos YOU did it!
July 10th, 2008 at 9:02 am
It’s gorgeous! Take down the sad sheers and remove the tattered carpets and you’ve got a blank slate. Of course the kitchen needs a redo, what an opportunity to get it right!! And that bath with the arched doorway… I swoon! Blessings, Shay
July 10th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Love this house! A double lot is such a rare find, and that porch is awesome. Kitchen and bathrooms are a bit scary. But the size of the house and the wood trim and floors everywhere make up for it. I’d take it!
July 10th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Here I thought you guys would think I was crazy for wanting to buy this house. I should’ve known better!
It had me at “front porch.”
Now if I can just find a spare $275,000 lying around…and a little more to fix it up….
Marie–you know I’m dying to see before and afters of your ranch-turned-bungalow now! It sounds amazing. -Julia
July 10th, 2008 at 9:39 am
This house is beautiful and it doesn’t look like it’s in very bad shape. As someone else said, the things I’d be more worried about are the things you can’t see- electrical and plumbing. At 275,000 it seems like a steal- you can’t get a historic home around her for close to that price. I would totally gut the kitchen though. I would stay within the style of the house but if I had to live there then I’d make it something I would love to live with.
July 10th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Wow! Double lot, porch, beautiful foyer and stairway, spacious rooms. The bathrooms don’t look too bad, especially not the one with the archway. The kitchen, well, that needs to be redone. I love old houses!
July 10th, 2008 at 10:04 am
I love this house! I wouldn’t even have trouble living in it through a fairly lengthy spiff-up/renovate period. It’s so wonderful when people leave the bones (woodwork,old touches) of these old houses alone. And it’s such fun to think of what transpired in this house over the past 130+ years. I’d buy it in a heartbeat.
July 10th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Oh yes defintely worth saving! I’m done saving houses though so I’ll have to pass! LOL..I’m sure someone will snatch it up and restore it to it’s former glory though since it is absolutely charming :o)
~Des
July 10th, 2008 at 10:07 am
I’ll take it! It is so lovely.
July 10th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Absolutely worth saving! I wish we had those kind of houses with that price tag where I live. I’d scoop it up in a heart beat!
July 10th, 2008 at 10:17 am
YES - I Love it - it can be saved!!! I love houses with character.
July 10th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Gorgeous, darling house! I would buy you in a heartbeat. I would give you fresh wiring, plumbing and probably a new roof just to be snug and new. Then we would tear out all the carpet and refinish the floors. Lastly, we’ll take a deep breath and plunge into those dated bathrooms and kitchen. When we’re done wilth all that, we will give you pretty paint, furniture, plants and a family to love that will love you in return. You are a beauty, my dear!
July 10th, 2008 at 10:47 am
We’re suckers for old houses… new ones just don’t have the character or rich history! It is unfourtunate for those who only see what needs to be done and cannot see what it could become!
Karla & Karrie
July 10th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Gorgeous house!!! And like others have said, not that bad! I agree with the list that Allison wrote - I’d do the same. This house has such character - many things to love about it!!!
July 10th, 2008 at 11:22 am
After I wiped up the drool from salivating over the photos…I hopped to the comment section to say yes, yes, YES! Save!!! From the pictures, the porch and roof above it are not sagging one iota. And for a house of this age that’s HUGE. Appears to be very structurely sound. (I’m sure an inspection may quickly put me in my place.
I really like the façade pretty much as-is with some sprucing up and some period-paint colors, and that tub looks to be in great condition. There are screens on the fireplaces which leads me to believe they were somewhat recently used (call the chimneysweep!). Wiring and plumbing would need an overhaul (and that washer and dryer need a little relo plan), and I’m saddened by the cork drop ceilings which will be a bit of a doozy to undo (or not. Sometimes you get lucky with drop ceilings.). That addition on the back disturbs me but maybe W&D can hang out there for the time being.
I could go on and on. This place is just oozing with charm and is 100% my kind of house!
July 10th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
This would be my dream house. It could be so pretty with a little love and paint! Too bad it’s not in CA for that price!
July 10th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
I love this house too. I wish I was younger and I would go all around America fixing up and loving up these gems, live there for about a year and move on, just long enough to get a taste of life in each town. And then I would stop back home to visit my husband and get some more money, because he’d have to stay and pay for all of this. I did say “I wish”.
July 10th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
I would like to join Cindy ( and her husband). All houses this age are worth saving for their charm and grace and a reminder of the skilled craftsmen that once flourished. So sad that no one even knows how to build such homes anymore. Don’t get me up on that soapbox or I may never come down!
Janet
July 10th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Yes, yes, & Yes! this house is definitely worth saving. If someone could get it for less than that asking price (probably quite a bit less) and could put some $$ into it, it would be a real gem. I see LOTS of poential in that one. It’s really not all that bad & a little cosmetic surgery could go a long way in beautifying it even a little bit.
Love it!
Rhoda
July 10th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
It looks like a diamond in the rough. Just some reno on baths and kitchen but the size and lot look great. The porch and fireplaces are enough for someone to want it. Hope it gets saved.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I hope someone saves it. It’s beautiful on the outside and has potential on the inside. I love old houses.
Brandee
July 10th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
You know I love it. It’s too expensive for me to call it a handyman special, but if I were the type who could do a lot of the work myself (which I’m not), I would do it. I’d want to know what other houses in the neighborhood are going for, though, before I spent that much money on it.
It could be so. very. beautiful.
Buy it, Julia! You know you want to!
July 10th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Maya, don’t tempt me!
It’s actually in the historic neighborhood we originally wanted to move into when we came to Cincinnati but we couldn’t afford any of the “fixer uppers” there. We looked and looked, hoping there would be some miracle, like a stupid person would list their gorgeous, already-renovated Foursquare for $150,000 by mistake or something, and we could snatch it up. Surprisingly, this never happened!
I can’t even afford this poor old house, which appears to need new everything. I don’t think the owners ever did anything to it but add that ceiling fan to the kitchen.
I still want it anyway.
Thank you all for making me feel like maybe I’m not so crazy for wanting it. -J
July 10th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Don’t laugh I just forwarded it on to a good friend who works in downtown Milford. He’s going to swing by after work.
Who knows, you may have a future in matchmaking!
July 10th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Julia….is it obvious that both of the Summer Kitchen girls LOVE this house???? Ha!
July 10th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Melinda–
You’ll have to tell us what he thinks. I want to drive over there myself when I get a chance. You can always tell more by seeing a house in person.
Karla & Karrie–
This wouldn’t be too far for you guys to commute. I think you should by it and let me hang out in it with you! -J
July 10th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Ohmygravy!! Would I love to get my hands on that house. New kitchen and baths, some paint, new rugs, closet fixes and some improved landscaping and this house would be FAB!!! It has tons of character and an awesome sized yard. Big rooms too.
July 10th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Hi Julia
You KNOW you don’t have to ask what I think! LOL Buy it Julia
rue
July 10th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
ummmmmmm - no - have you seen the price of gas…..but it would be fun wouldn’t it????
July 10th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Absolutely it can be saved. It could be beautiful, parts of it already are.
I love projects like that but I never have the budget to fix it - I’d just have to live with the pink kitchen.
July 10th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Seriously gorgeous. l love it! I agree with several others…the charm in these old houses is tough to come by. What a gem!
July 10th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
it’s love at first sight for me! just needs a little tlc…but it’s just lovely.
July 10th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Oh, projects like this call my name. This house has tons of potential, if you had the means to do it right. I’m guessing that the wiring and plumbling are ancient, and that is a huge expense. But there is tons of charm. And those porches are great. If someone buys this and fixes it up you have to keep us posted!
July 11th, 2008 at 12:31 am
Please, please, PLEASE tell me someone saves this house! It is so beautiful with so much potential!
July 11th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Oh, love it! Especially that big, spacious sunroom/porch.
It does need a lot of updating, especially in the kitchen. I don’t even want to guess what that is on the walls in there. But it’s definitely fixable.
I love it!
July 11th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Too funny! My friend’s Jim and Carol lived in the upstairs of this house when they were first married. the rent was $100. The owners spent their winters in the south, so Jim and Carol were in charge of the yard as part of their rent. I remember it as being freezing in the winter and really hot in the summer, no central air, at least when they lived in it. It certainly does have potential! Every time I was over I would re-store it in my head. I hope some one buy’s it and gives it the tlc it deserves.
July 11th, 2008 at 9:38 am
What a cute house! If that doesn’t have potential, I don’t know what does!
July 11th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Given enough money, that house would be my dream.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Let me just say that I want to stand in that kitchen and just breath in the (mold) history. Yes, of course, the house is worth saving! Heck, we’re saving one in much worse shape than that…(Julia, it happens next week, I hope!)
Snatch it up, Julia! Bring her back to her original glory! I’m sure you know how to wield a hammer.
July 12th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Why are you doing this to me??? If this house were sitting here in North Pole, Alaska, I’d sell my house and I’d be at the realtor’s office yesterday. I LOVE old houses. This one says family all over it. The only thing that I wonder about is the insulation. In older homes they didn’t focus on insulation as much as they do now. There really isn’t any reason to not move in it as it is. It is not trashed. Yes it needs updating, but it is livable after a deep cleaning. Here’s my list of to do’s
Doors- Strip to bare wood. They are treasures under all that paint.
Kitchen- KEEP stove! Another treasure. Redo cabinets, walls and floor
Bath- Remove paper from walls. Update everything. Tubs aren’t nice enough to keep.
Have fireplaces checked.
Paint whole house inside and out.
Buy a swing and other porch furniture.
Oh my, I have serious house envy now. Thanks Julia
July 13th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Not for $275,000. It needs a TOTAL kitchen re-do.
The outside looks great.
Is it just me or are the walls short? Or is that just the way the it looks in the picture? I couldn’t tell.
July 13th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Beautiful home, Julia and absolutely worth saving! I love the exterior and setting and the interior looks great.
Pat
July 14th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I love it! I can just imagine it all fluffed up and ready for a party! I’d love a house like that - all pretty and white. Hugs, Patti
July 15th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
I was watching some house flipping show, and the guy made more money by splitting up the huge lot and selling it off than he did on the house remodel. So I’d buy the house, split the lot in two, sell the second lot, and then use the money to remodel the house and live in it. It’s a beautiful house.
July 15th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
My husband bought me a house much like that about six years ago. However it is in southern Georgia. I still walk around in awe and just loving it.(it is still a work in progress, but comfortable.) I still feel like I am dreaming. (We moved from Atlanta) It does not have to be a dream.
Even my husband loves it now. There are others like it down here. The price tag is much lower. There is a beautiful house right next door that has the most beautiful pocket doors and mantles you can imagine!! It is quite livable and the price is $50,000. That is not a typo. I just love this quieter area 60 miles north of Jacksonville, Fla.
July 15th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Well, guys, I’m packing up and moving to southern Georgia. I can’t resist a $50,000 house with pocket doors and amazing mantels like the one Darrene told us about. I hope my husband and kids will agree to come with me… -J
July 21st, 2008 at 5:12 pm
ohh i love it. i wouldn’t buy it for that much though… looks like the kitchen and bathrooms need a lot of updates. however, it has a ton of charm and beautiful floors.